According to this article in the Korea Times the closure of the Seoul Pub signals the death of the old Itaewon:
Master Jung pours beers at Seoul Pub in Itaewon during the 2002 Korea-Japan FIFA World Cup. / Courtesy of John Redmond
Seoul’s most popular and famous expat hangout, Seoul Pub, is set to close its doors for the last time in over two decades, Sunday.
Centrally located in Itaewon, across the road from the Hamilton Hotel, Seoul Pub was for years Seoul’s most popular bar, blending a patronage of English teachers, U.S.military personnel and businessmen, offering affordable beer, pool and entertainment from the manager, Master Jung.
It essentially paved the way for more European-style pubs, thanks to former manager Gunther Kampf, who went on to open the original 3 Alley Pub.Its low-key, no-frills atmosphere became a magnet for foreigners tired of the cowboy bars catering to a U.S.military clientele.
First opened in 1996, the popular premises saw its popularity peak during the 2002 Korea-Japan FIFA World Cup, as did many now defunct international bars. (……..)
The closure of Seoul Pub signals the death of old Itaewon. [Korea Times]
You can read the rest at the link, but I like the new Itaewon better then the old Itaewon even if it means older establishments like Seoul Pub are forced to close due to the increased competition.
The old Itaewon died long ago. The fire on the hill the burned up those three juicy places was long after Roadside Cafe became a Korean Only place… there were many other changes. Before Wendy’s left. Before the juicy places on the same side of the street as the Hamilton closed.
Most of you know what I mean.
It was almost innocent fun before the waygooks replaced the Koreans and “respectable” places arrived.
Now, with all of the “Hala”l crowd hanging out on the streets at night, I’d think twice about going out for ssamgyupsal in that part of town…
blueberry muffin mix
7 years ago
Sorry. The edith button disappeared. And my fat fingers on this tiny phone keyboard make more mistakes than normal.
Flyingsword
7 years ago
American drunken idiots being quickly replaced by Korean drunken idiots, that’s progress for you!
blueberry muffin mix
7 years ago
Not just Americans, my friend… the tennis shoe place by the Shilka Hotel bus stop had a salesman who spoke seven languages because there were customers from all over…
Smokes at Work
7 years ago
To say “The Old Itaewon” shows a simplified ignorance of it’s history and furthers my belief that journalism worldwide deserves a million Trumps riding their asses until they get it in gear. 👿
At a minimum I’d guess there are as many major versions of Itaewon as decades it existed. From it’s dirt road inception when *things* could be purchased on the cheap, through the industrial boom of the 70s/80s when the single story structures gave way and the tides of dark command policies started to loom. Then came various jack-booted commanders and their dreams of sitting upon the Iron Throne who wrung all the joy out of the place into the millennium. Finally the last stretch of sweeping it under the rug while we get the hell out of here and move to the Hump. 🙄
Personally I never cared for the place, the main strip was needlessly overpriced and everything failed to deliver on its promise. The side streets were sad relics of their former glory. Most of all the whole place reeked under the specter of the worst thing you can see in Korea: “Foreigners Only”. 😡
Foreigners Only smacks of any or all of the following: Scam, Bullshit, Segregation. 😐
Why is this thing or place for foreigners only? Is there something here you don’t want Koreans to see and why? In any case with the move to the Hump, Itaewon will transition to a new phase of Hipsterness where Koreans can be seen and take selfies, English Teachers can hide out, and tourists can get pale versions of what they miss for shitty prices. 😥
blueberry muffin mix
7 years ago
Smokes at work apparently did NOT like the Nashville Club… 😛
blueberry muffin mix
7 years ago
Mind you, David Alan Coe’s Rodeo Song is not something to play around most folks… but I do miss the rather unsophisticated line dance the waitresses did. Only saw it twice; but it was memorably bad. In a good way.
Worked in inchon, and lived in seoul, went to the seoul pub every chance we had, and itaewon, great times and great people. See my old friend Gunther is still there, he was a funny guy and it wasn’t foreigner only, never did they stop korean women from coming in and the english teachers were always looking to get up with the rest of the english speakers. Hate to hear it is going and see some of the other places have gone. It is a lost good time and will be in my mind until I leave for the big seoul in the sky.
Worked in inchon, and lived in seoul, went to the seoul pub every chance we had, and itaewon, great times and great people. See my old friend Gunther is still there, he was a funny guy and it wasn’t foreigner only, never did they stop korean women from coming in and the english teachers were always looking to get up with the rest of the english speakers. Hate to hear it is going and see some of the other places have gone. It is a lost good time and will be in my mind until I leave for the big seoul in the sky.for the managers of this site, haven’t said anything before.
I spent over two years living in Seoul and loved the Nashville Club – get there early, have some beers, watch a ton of movies in the basement before heading out to catch up with my friends. Have a huge feeling of nostalgia when I think that that’s all gone now.
The old Itaewon died long ago. The fire on the hill the burned up those three juicy places was long after Roadside Cafe became a Korean Only place… there were many other changes. Before Wendy’s left. Before the juicy places on the same side of the street as the Hamilton closed.
Most of you know what I mean.
It was almost innocent fun before the waygooks replaced the Koreans and “respectable” places arrived.
Now, with all of the “Hala”l crowd hanging out on the streets at night, I’d think twice about going out for ssamgyupsal in that part of town…
Sorry. The edith button disappeared. And my fat fingers on this tiny phone keyboard make more mistakes than normal.
American drunken idiots being quickly replaced by Korean drunken idiots, that’s progress for you!
Not just Americans, my friend… the tennis shoe place by the Shilka Hotel bus stop had a salesman who spoke seven languages because there were customers from all over…
To say “The Old Itaewon” shows a simplified ignorance of it’s history and furthers my belief that journalism worldwide deserves a million Trumps riding their asses until they get it in gear. 👿
At a minimum I’d guess there are as many major versions of Itaewon as decades it existed. From it’s dirt road inception when *things* could be purchased on the cheap, through the industrial boom of the 70s/80s when the single story structures gave way and the tides of dark command policies started to loom. Then came various jack-booted commanders and their dreams of sitting upon the Iron Throne who wrung all the joy out of the place into the millennium. Finally the last stretch of sweeping it under the rug while we get the hell out of here and move to the Hump. 🙄
Personally I never cared for the place, the main strip was needlessly overpriced and everything failed to deliver on its promise. The side streets were sad relics of their former glory. Most of all the whole place reeked under the specter of the worst thing you can see in Korea: “Foreigners Only”. 😡
Foreigners Only smacks of any or all of the following: Scam, Bullshit, Segregation. 😐
Why is this thing or place for foreigners only? Is there something here you don’t want Koreans to see and why? In any case with the move to the Hump, Itaewon will transition to a new phase of Hipsterness where Koreans can be seen and take selfies, English Teachers can hide out, and tourists can get pale versions of what they miss for shitty prices. 😥
Smokes at work apparently did NOT like the Nashville Club… 😛
Mind you, David Alan Coe’s Rodeo Song is not something to play around most folks… but I do miss the rather unsophisticated line dance the waitresses did. Only saw it twice; but it was memorably bad. In a good way.
Those days are long gone.
Worked in inchon, and lived in seoul, went to the seoul pub every chance we had, and itaewon, great times and great people. See my old friend Gunther is still there, he was a funny guy and it wasn’t foreigner only, never did they stop korean women from coming in and the english teachers were always looking to get up with the rest of the english speakers. Hate to hear it is going and see some of the other places have gone. It is a lost good time and will be in my mind until I leave for the big seoul in the sky.
Worked in inchon, and lived in seoul, went to the seoul pub every chance we had, and itaewon, great times and great people. See my old friend Gunther is still there, he was a funny guy and it wasn’t foreigner only, never did they stop korean women from coming in and the english teachers were always looking to get up with the rest of the english speakers. Hate to hear it is going and see some of the other places have gone. It is a lost good time and will be in my mind until I leave for the big seoul in the sky.for the managers of this site, haven’t said anything before.
I spent over two years living in Seoul and loved the Nashville Club – get there early, have some beers, watch a ton of movies in the basement before heading out to catch up with my friends. Have a huge feeling of nostalgia when I think that that’s all gone now.